An undated photo of Christine Gilbert, who died in Ray Tomlinson's van during a ride from Arizona to Michigan. / Courtesy of Ray Tomlinson

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Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Police identified the woman who died in this van during a ride from Arizona to Michigan. / Warren Police Department

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Warren Police have released the name of the 31-year-old woman who died en route to Michigan earlier this week while riding in a van.

Christine Gilbert fell asleep in the front passenger seat of the conversion van and was discovered dead in Texas or Oklahoma by her boyfriend, Warren Police Detective Sgt. Stephen Mills said. She once lived in Roseville.

Ray Tomlinson, 62, told the Free Press on Wednesday that he and his 93-year-old mother decided to keep driving to get the womanís body to the Macomb County morgue.

Tomlinson said he worried that if he stopped driving, authorities would impound his van and incarcerate him during an investigation. He also said he didnít want to leave her body at a hospital along the way.

The cause and manner of the Gilbertís death is pending toxicology tests. The results arenít expected for weeks.

Police said they were not ruling out the possibility that the woman, who had several prescriptions filled before the road trip, overdosed on drugs.

No foul play is suspected, and no charges are expected to be filed in the case, police have said.